Harry Potter and the Mysterious Stubbardmans

When they arrived back at the Headmaster's chambers, the hearing was still going on. Hermione took George's hand and led him inside. Dori looked up and gave George a menacing gaze.

"Hermione," George sung.

"I see her. Just ignore it," Hermione advised through clenched teeth.

"I should have brought a peace-offering. I'm sure a box of Nosebleed Nougat would have done the trick."

"George!"

"It was just a thought."

"George, nothing with you is just a thought, especially when it comes to doing something offensive to someone else."

"So, if Grace didn't plant those rogue Bludgers, who did?" Madam Hooch inquired.

"I think I can explain that," Hermione chimed in.

"Well Miss Granger, we're listening." Headmaster Candelier folded his hands and rested them on the desk.

Harry and Ron watched Hermione as she stepped forward. She looked at the others: Madam Hooch, Professor McGonagall, Dori, Ari, Bridget, Michael and Eleanor. Grace remained seated in front of the Headmaster's desk. She dared to look over at George who was looking back at her. A curl formed at the corner of her mouth as she tried to smile at him.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with what a Metamorphmagus is," Hermione began. "Tonks was one. I believe it's possible that someone, with Metamorphmagus capabilities, is working for the Verole. I believe that, whoever he or she may be, they're the spy you're looking for. He or she is the one responsible for Megan's death, the attacks on Harry by the lake and at Bailey's and Duke's, and the rogue Bludgers."

"Is this a theory, Miss Granger, or do have proof that you want to share with us?" Headmaster Candelier asked.

"Titus, Miss Granger and I have been investigating this crime for over six months now, and with the evidence we've been able to gather, all facts point strongly to the possibility that a Metamorphmagus is the spy we're looking for," Dori said.

"But if that's true, it would mean that they had been in physical contact with Grace. If she had contact with this spy, then that would mean she knew who the killer was all along. Wouldn't that make her just as guilty?" Michael Corner asked.

"Only if Grace was aware of what this person was planning to do. Think Grace. Whom did you come in contact with outside of Hogwarts?" Dori asked with desperation in her voice.

"It would have to have been sometime before school started, because Hagrid reported seeing someone the night before the school opened for the new term," Aristotle inferred.

"Grace, did you come in physical contact with any strangers prior to the opening of school?" Professor McGonagall calmly inquired.

"Well, there was this old woman in the second-hand store. That's where I bought my crystal ball so that I could contact my mum," Grace answered.

"Where is this store located?" Headmaster Candelier asked.

"In Knockturn Alley."

"Grace, you wandered there by yourself? It's dangerous for a young girl to be walking around there by herself," Dori scolded.

"All the other stores that I had gone to were too expensive. One store clerk suggested I try the second-hand store. I made certain that I went during the daytime. I know better than to be there when it gets dark."

"Let's stay on track everyone. So, you walked into the store, and I assume you saw this old woman standing behind the counter?" Headmaster Candelier asked. Grace nodded. "Then what happened?" he prodded.

"Well, I can't remember much, just that she asked me if I needed any help. I told her I was looking for a crystal ball."

"And what did she do after you told her that?"

"She walked out from behind the counter and led me to the shelves where she kept the used crystal balls. I told her I didn't really know how to use one, so she offered to show me."

"And how did she do that?"

"She took me to the back of the store where there was a little table. It had a crystal ball sitting in the centre of it. She placed the other crystal ball down on the table then told me to sit down. I took a seat at the table in front of the crystal ball, and then she took my hands into hers, and positioned them a few inches away from the ball. She told me to place my hands, one on each side of the ball, and then concentrate on the person I wished to contact. She told me to call out their name."

"So she touched your hands?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Grace!" Dori groaned.

"But how could this woman have known to use Grace?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"It didn't matter who she used. It wasn't planned. This woman can think quickly on her feet. She saw an opportunity, so she grabbed it," Aristotle deduced. "The Verole needed a spy to break into Hogwarts. This old woman, if she is a Metamorphmagus working for them, saw that Grace was a Hogwarts student. Quick thinking on her part helped her grab the opportunity that the Verole was looking for."

"Well, that settles that, Titus. Looks like you found your murderer," Professor McGonagall proclaimed.

"Well, not so fast. We're going to have to bring her in for questioning," Headmaster Candelier said.

"That's true," Dori agreed. "We need to be certain that we have the right one. Any mistakes we make at this point will be costly to the case."

"Bridget," Headmaster Candelier summoned his sister.

"I'm way ahead of you, dear brother. Looks like Hilda and Tilly are going to be putting in some overtime this evening," Bridget announced, as she proceeded to exit the chamber.

"I will contact the Ministry and explain to them the situation. Hopefully, they'll provide the Aurors with a warrant to search the premises," Headmaster Candelier said.

"Headmaster, hold on a moment," Ginny requested. "If it was this old woman that Grace talked about, where did she get a Hufflepuff uniform? Michael said the person he saw was wearing a Hufflepuff uniform, and over at Bailey's and Duke's the person who I thought was Grace was wearing one, too."

"Come to think of it," Grace spoke up, "she did sell used Hogwarts school uniforms."

"Well, Miss Weasley, perhaps that answers your question," Aristotle piped up.

"Okay, so that explains who was at Bailey's and Duke's, and who poisoned the pumpkin juice and planted the rogue Bludgers, but it still doesn't clear up who cast the Incarcerous spell on Ginny," Harry interjected.

"Oh, that was me," Grace confessed.

"Huh?" Ginny gasped.

"I'm sorry, but if I had let you run back out of the shop, you probably would have been killed," Grace reasoned.

"But how could you have done it? You weren't there; that old woman was," Ginny debated.

"Well, actually I was there, too. You just didn't see me."

"Why? Do you have an invisibility cloak, too?" Ron butted in.

"No. I used the Disillusionment Charm."

"That was a sneaky thing to do," Hermione said.

"Right you are, Miss Granger, but we had no choice. She had to use it to keep a watch on Harry and make certain that he wasn't getting himself into any life threatening predicaments. I couldn't count on him to keep his word that he would play it safe," Headmaster Candelier revealed.

"Gee, thanks," Harry quipped.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but it was for your own good. I couldn't afford to take a chance, and with everything that has happened, I'm sure you can understand why," Headmaster Candelier apologized.

"So, you were my shadow that snuck into Bailey's and Duke's. You wouldn't happen to have been the one I thought I heard in Gryffindor Tower, the night Ginny and I were attacked by the lake, were you?" Harry inquired.

"Yeah, that was me," Grace confessed.

"But, how did you get into Gryffindor's dormitory? You're a Hufflepuff," Ginny was quick to point out.

"I gave Grace a master password so that she could easily get into any house that she needed access. It was necessary in order for her to do what I asked of her," the Headmaster explained.

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Later that week, the Ministry granted Bridget, Hilda and Tilly a warrant to pick up Shigella, the owner of the second-hand store, for questioning. Years before, she had been suspected of being a Voldemort supporter. Known for her talents as a Metamorphmagus, she had a reputation for being proficient in turning herself into someone else. Her specialty was disguising herself as an elf.

Aristotle was in the headmaster's chambers talking to Headmaster Candelier, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid when Mr. Filch came by with a message.

"It's from Bridget," Aristotle shared with the others. "They're going to bring in the store owner."

"Do you want to be there when they do?" Headmaster Candelier smiled.

"Of course. Hagrid, would you care to join me in the fun?"

"Er, don' have ta ask me twice," Hagrid said.

Aristotle and Hagrid left Hogwarts and met up with Bridget, Hilda, and Tilly in Knockturn Alley.

"Hey, well, looky who we have here," Tilly said. She ran her hand through her long blonde hair, and smirked at Aristotle.

"Tilly, save your flirting until after the party is over," Hilda ordered in a mocking tone.

The five entered the second-hand store, startling Shigella.

"Miss Shigella," Bridget began, but before she could finish, Shigella pulled out her wand and sent the Killing Curse in Bridget's direction.

Aristotle deflected it, and Hilda retaliated with the Incarcerous spell, bounding Shigella's hands and feet. Hilda and Tilly helped Shigella up and they escorted her to a holding cell at the Ministry.

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Several weeks had gone by since the hearing. Grace had been cleared of all charges. George agreed to remain 'just friends' with her until she was of age, and Hermione made Dori promise not to do any harm to George, as long as he behaved himself which, for George, was like telling the rain not to fall on England. Ron and Harry had taken their N.E.W.Ts and passed with flying colours. Both received acceptance letters for the Aurors' Apprenticeship. In the meantime, Hermione prepared for her Senior Apprenticeship. She was continuing her studies under Dori's tutelage.

Hermione was in one of the clerks' offices, the place in the Ministry where they maintained the records. She was delivering the processing papers on the Megan Corner case. While she was standing at the counter, she happened to glance down at one of the clerks' desks. There, lying in an opened manila folder, were some documents with Aristotle's name on them. One document contained Aristotle's last name.

"Where have I heard that name before?" she wondered. She shrugged, handed Megan's case files to another clerk, and then returned to the labs.

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Later that evening, as Hermione and Ron were sharing a quiet moment together in her little flat, Hermione was rummaging through one of her drawers that held old keepsakes. At the very bottom of the drawer was an old edition of the Quibbler. Thinking what a collection of rubbish it was, she picked it up and laughed as she skimmed through its pages.

Ron noticed what Hermione was reading and cringed. "When did you start reading the Quibbler?"

"I didn't." She giggled. "I use this junk to line the bottom of my dresser drawers." She continued flipping through the slightly yellowed pages of the gossip magazine, periodically reading passages of the articles to herself. Suddenly, Hermione came across an old article, whose contents made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Ron!" Hermione erupted with excitement.

"What?" Ron jumped, startled by Hermione's abrupt outcry.

"I just figured out why Aristotle's last name sounded so familiar."

"Yeah, and why is that?"

"Look!" Hermione ordered, pointing her finger to the passage.

Ron's eyes followed Hermione's index finger and read the story. After he finished, he looked up at her.

"This is big!" Ron declared his eyes opened wide with excitement.

"I know!"

"I mean this is really huge!"

"I know. We've got to tell Harry, but I'm concerned about how he'll take the news," Hermione fretted.

"Why? What would this have to do with Harry and how do you think he'd react?"

"Don't you see, Ron?"

"No, truthfully, I don't."

"Ron, don't you get it? Doris Purkiss is Dori! Our Dori! My mentor!"

"What? Wait! How do you figure that?" Ron challenged.

"Look what it says," Hermione urged, returning her finger to the article. "It says, 'Sirius Black was Stubby Boardman from the Hob Gobblers'. Stubby Boardman, Ron! Where have you heard that?"

"I dunno?" Ron replied, lost in confusion.

"Stubby Boardman? Stubbardman? Isn't it strange that Dori's last name sounds so similar?" Hermione stressed.

"Hermione, what are you getting at?" Ron frustratingly questioned.

Hermione took a deep breath to relieve her aggravation with Ron's inability to keep up with her train of thinking. "Ronald, Dori Stubbardman, is Doris Purkiss, Aristotle Purkiss's sister!"

Ron paused for a moment to process what Hermione had just said then he replied, "Oh. Well, why didn't you just say so?"

Hermione's mouth dropped open. The expression on her face resembled that of one in denial. I don't believe him. He couldn't possibly be ...no, on second thought, yes, he could. Then a warmer thought crossed her mind. That's why I love him so much.

"Hey, wait a minute. If she is Doris Purkiss, and she was with Sirius that night, then her daughter is..." Ron began to calculate.

"Ron."

"Grace is..."

"Sirius's daughter." Hermione finished Ron's sentence.

"Just wait 'til Harry hears this! I guess Sirius and Doris had more than just dinner that night."

"Ron!"

"Sorry."

"Honestly!"

"So, when are we going to tell Harry?"

"Not until I've had a little chat with Dori. Come on," Hermione commanded, grabbing Ron's arm and taking the magazine from his hands.

"Where are we going? We're not going to see Dori now, are we?"

"Well, of course, we are. You don't think I'll be able to rest peacefully tonight until I get to the bottom of this, do you?"

"No. I know better not to expect something like that from you," Ron grumbled.

Hermione contacted Dori using a special locket that she kept around her neck. Dori had given it to her in case there was ever an emergency. Dori didn't trust the Floo network or Owls when it came to communicating sensitive information. Hermione arranged to meet her at the Hog's Head that evening.

It was late that night when Dori joined Hermione and Ron in front of the infamous inn. All three walked inside and found a table in the corner.

"This place never seems to lose its charm," Dori snidely remarked. "So, Hermione, what's so pressing that it couldn't wait until morning?"

Hermione placed the edition of the Quibbler containing the article in front of Dori. Dori picked up the magazine and read the passage, and then she slowly placed the periodical down on the table. Her face expressed shock.

"Where did you get this?"

"I was using it to line the bottom of one of my dresser drawers," Hermione quietly answered.

At that moment, the bartender walked over to the table, placed three butterbeers in front of them then walked away without saying a word.

"Is it true? Was Sirius Black with Doris Purkiss on the night that Harry's parents were murdered?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes, it's true," Dori confirmed.

"Dori, Aristotle is your brother. While I was in the clerks' office today, I spotted a document that had his last name on it. Is your name really Doris Purkiss?"

Dori took a deep breath then began her tale.

"I was two years behind Sirius and James. Aristotle knew them well. He became the drummer in their band after they kicked Peter out. I used to pass Sirius in the halls, in between class periods. He and James ruled the school along with a few others. They would mess with Titus a lot because he was a prefect and took the job very seriously. I credit James and Sirius with showing Titus how to smile."

"Dori, get to the part where you began having a relationship with Sirius," Hermione demanded impatiently.

"It was toward the middle of my fifth year. Lily and I became very good friends, so, since she was seeing James, naturally she became friendly with Sirius. Up until the spring of my fifth year, I didn't really think much of him. Oh, he was very good looking, but he intimidated me. He was two years my senior and I thought 'wow, he could never be interested in someone like me', so I just put the thought out of my mind."

"What thought? You mean you liked him?" Hermione prodded.

"Oh, yes. The more I got to know him, the more things I started noticing about him. When James would come around to see Lily, Sirius would come along. We'd all go to The Three Broomsticks together. For James and Lily, it was a date, but, for Sirius and me, it was just for fun. At first it was just that. Then... I don't know when it happened; I just started falling for him."

Hermione and Ron listened attentively as Dori continued.

"One day Lily asked me something. She asked me what I thought about Sirius, and I said that I would tell her, but only if she promised not to say a word. I made her promise to take my secret to the grave. Little did I know that later on, I would regret telling her to do that.

"I told her that I thought I was falling in love with him, and I didn't know what to do about it, because I was so certain he could never fall for someone like me. I knew the kind of girls he liked. You know the ones: tall, perfect figure, long flowing hair--the kind that the rest of us girls love to loathe."

Hermione glanced over to Ron. Ron smiled back at her then turned to Dori.

"It was at that moment that Lily told me the most marvellous news that I had ever heard. She told me that Sirius wanted to ask me out, but because I was so smart, he was afraid that I would just laugh at him. He thought I would think it beneath me to date someone like him. He was also a little worried that our difference in age would be a problem. He was well aware of the kind of family I came from. My father was a very strict disciplinarian, and my mother was extremely conservative and proper. Could you image inviting someone like Sirius into a household like that?" Dori giggled nervously.

Hermione and Ron guffawed at Dori's comment.

"So what happened after that?" Ron asked excitedly.

"Well, of course, Lily asked me if I would accept Sirius' request to go out with him, and I thought I would burst! 'Oh, my God, Lily,' I said, 'tell Sirius that I would love to go out with him.' Well, it didn't take long before our relationship started getting very...well...serious. One day he asked me when I was going to invite him to meet my parents. I told him that they were very busy all the time and never really had a chance to meet any of my friends. He knew I was lying. He could see right through me. 'You're afraid they won't like me, aren't you?' he asked. The way he looked at me, I thought I was going to die. He was absolutely right. My father would have never allowed me to date Sirius. Had he known about us, he would have put a stop to it before it got as involved as it did."

"Why was that?" Ron asked.

"My father may have been strict, but he was also highly educated. He had absolutely no use for bigots. The Blacks, as far as he was concerned, were the epitome of small-minded bigotry."

"But Sirius was nothing like the rest of his family," Hermione defended.

"I knew that, but once my father made up his mind about someone, that was it! So, I finally explained it all to Sirius and he understood. We agreed to see one another secretly. Then one day, my father happened to come across a letter that Sirius had written to me. I had been busy cleaning out old papers because I was going into my seventh year and wanted to clean out all the junk that I had collected from the previous year. The shock on my father's face was not to be believed.

"He punished me severely and made me hand over all of the letters that Sirius had written to me. Aristotle tried talking to him, but that just made things worse since he was playing in the band. Luckily for Aristotle, he was old enough to make his own decisions. He had moved out of the house and was already in his therapy apprenticeship. My father couldn't do very much to him, but me..."

"Did he hit you?" Hermione questioned concernedly.

"No, but for almost two weeks, he didn't say a word to me. It was as if I had died. I became like a ghost in his house."

"Oh, how awful. That's so unfair!" Hermione exclaimed. "Didn't your mother say anything?"

"How could she? She was from the old school. She would never dream of going against my father. I was left with no choice. I broke up with Sirius. It broke his heart. I still remained friends with Lily and James, however they were in the Order. I wanted to join but my father had forbidden it."

"So, if you broke up with Sirius, then what were you doing having dinner with him that night?" Ron inquired suspiciously.

"Well, as I had said before, I remained friends with Lily and James so eventually Sirius got past being angry with me. We became friends again, Lily and James got married, and I left Hogwarts and entered the Forensics Apprenticeship Program. I moved out of my father's house and got a place of my own.

"A few months later, Lily and James had Harry. Every so often they would need a babysitter, so I often volunteered. James knew that Sirius still loved me and Lily knew that I felt the same way about him, so the two played matchmaker. Sometimes, looking back, I think that Lily and James went out just so that I would have an excuse to come over and so Sirius could visit Harry while I was there.

"I don't have to tell you where it all ended up. Sirius and I couldn't stand being apart from one another. Although, I did try seeing other boys while I was still attending Hogwarts. My father made certain that I only dated boys that met his approval, but I never felt the same way for any of them the way I had felt about Sirius.

"We began to date again about six months before Lily and James were murdered."

"Dori, tell us what happened that night," Hermione requested.

"That was the worst night of my life. Sirius and I had made plans to have dinner together after he and James were finished rehearsing. They, along with my brother and Remus, played in the local nightclub scene. Sirius arrived later that night. We had dinner and." Dori stopped not wanting to reveal any details. She turned away and lifted her glass of butterbeer, signalling that she had nothing more to say to them.

"So, you were with him the night Harry's parents were murdered?" Ron noted.

"Yes," Dori answered, her eyes fixed on her drink.

"Then why didn't you say anything at his trial? He went to Azkaban for twelve years! Why didn't you speak up?" Hermione interrogated.

"He didn't want me to. While he was in a holding cell at the Ministry, he sent me a letter begging me not to show up at his trial. Professor Dumbledore concurred with his request. Dumbledore thought that I would be putting my own life in danger if I testified, not to mention my father would have probably disowned me." Dori became emotional after saying this. "It broke my heart when I found out that he was being sent to Azkaban. It was like a death sentence for both of us."

"So, Professor Dumbledore knew Sirius was innocent?" Ron broke in.

"Well, he suspected. Professor Dumbledore would not allow himself to believe that Sirius turned against James and Lily, but he was extremely concerned for my safety. He was aware of my father's concerns, so he advised me to honor Sirius's wishes," Dori explained.

"Dori, was Sirius Grace's father?" Hermione blatantly asked.

Dori nodded her head as she reached for her napkin to blow her nose. Tears began streaming down her face. "That's the real reason why Professor Dumbledore wanted me to remain silent. You have no idea what it was like for me, finding out that I was pregnant. I was all alone. I couldn't go back home. My father would never have accepted me back. If it wasn't for Aristotle, I don't know what I would have done.

"He told Dumbledore what was going on and before I knew it, I was on a ship to Ireland. I was placed in a witness protection program."

"Why?" Hermione asked with a furled brow.

"Dumbledore was concerned that if anyone found out that I was still romantically involved with Sirius and carrying his child, I would be a target for both Voldemort's supporters and the Ministry. Voldemort would want me killed in order to prevent another Muggle-born witch or wizard from tainting the wizarding world. The Ministry would accuse me of being an accessory to James and Lily's murders."

"So where was this witness protection program?" Ron asked.

"It was in Ireland. I stayed with a friend of Titus's family. Titus's father and my mother were brother and sister and the friend was a friend of his mother's that worked for an elite group of Aurors. Dumbledore said that it was important that I stay out of sight. I was carrying the child of a murderer, as far as the wizarding world was concerned.

"I raised Grace on my own. I received my forensic training at the secret base, and Grace attended the private Druid school. The school was very expensive, but Dumbledore made an arrangement with the head of the witness protection program that Grace could attend the school for as long as Sirius was alive.

"Then, we found out at the end of Harry's fourth year that Voldemort was still alive. Professor Dumbledore asked that the Druid school extend their invitation. I was forced to enrol Grace at Hogwarts after Harry killed Voldemort."

"Does Grace know about any of this?" Hermione asked.

"She knew I was involved in some sort of secret work, which was why she attended such an exclusive school, but she never knew exactly what it was that I did, nor the real reason why we were there."

"Does she know that Sirius is her father?" Ron asked curiously.

"No. I never told her who her father was. By the time she would have understood anything I was telling her, she would have already been taught that Sirius Black murdered Harry Potter's parents."

"But you knew the truth. You knew he didn't do it!"

"I know, but she wouldn't have believed me. The identity of her father was a well kept secret...until now...thanks to you," Dori snickered bitterly.

"Did your parents find out?" Hermione asked.

"No, I only saw them once before I sailed to Ireland, and I never saw them again. They never saw Grace. Aristotle came with me on Dumbledore's recommendations. He felt it was best if Aristotle was with me for support. Aristotle returned to the Ministry after he obtained his head therapist certification. He's a Wizard, First Class, Order of Parcelsus," Dori bragged.

Hermione smiled at Dori momentarily then thought about what she had said about never seeing her parents. "That's so sad--losing your parents I mean. I couldn't imagine having to go through something like that. I'm not exactly close to my parents, but I wouldn't want to lose them."

"No, indeed, you wouldn't," Dori agreed.

"Did Sirius ever find out that he had a daughter?" Ron asked.

Dori smiled and giggled briefly. "Did Sirius ever tell you how he escaped Azkaban?"

Both Hermione and Ron thought this to be an odd question, but responded anyway.

"Yes," Hermione answered.

"Well, so you are aware of the location of Azkaban, yes?"

Hermione and Ron nodded, remaining intensely silent.

"As you know, no spells or curses work in Azkaban. Prisoners lose most of their magical abilities, but Sirius did not lose his ability to change into a dog. During the time that Sirius was imprisoned, Bridget was making regular trips there, dropping off prisoners. She would periodically stop by Sirius's cell and check up on him for me. Then she would send me messages back, reporting on his condition. One day, Sirius gave her a message to give to me. The message contained the plan for his escape."

"You helped him escape?" Hermione gawked.

"Well, of course. How do you think Sirius managed to get to shore? Did you really think he swam all the way from Azkaban?"

"We just figured Remus had something to do with it," Ron clarified.

"Only after the incident with Peter Pettigrew. It was Aristotle and I who helped." Dori smiled.

"Is that when you told him about Grace?" Hermione asked.

"Yes."

"So how did Grace react when she met him?" Hermione asked.

"She didn't react one way or the other. Sirius was a mess when he got out of prison. Grace was just eleven. He didn't want to scare her, and he didn't want to risk being rejected by his only child. Grace saw her father while he was in the form of a dog."

"That's awful," Ron commented.

"That was the first and last time Grace was ever in the presence of her father. Two years later, Remus sent me an owl with the news that Sirius died during a battle at the Ministry. I went into one of the worst states of depression. He was the love of my life." Dori began to weep again.

"Why didn't he see her again? He was out for two years," Hermione pointed out.

"Did you not notice the condition he was in? He was technically a fugitive. He was a mess and he asked that I not bring her around until his name was cleared and had a bath that didn't contain flee dip," Dori answered. She tried to laugh but cried instead.

Hermione pulled a tissue out of her purse and offered it to her grieving mentor. "Dori, will you ever tell Grace who her father really was?"

"I imagine that one day I will."

"Dori, if it would help, we can be there when you tell her. I was going to tell Harry about this tomorrow," Hermione revealed.

"Why?" Dori asked.

"Because I think he should know. I think he would want to know his godfather has a daughter," Hermione reasoned.

"I suppose you're right," Dori agreed. "Maybe we could tell both of them at the same time."

With his elbow resting on the table, Ron placed his hand over his mouth. This is going to be interesting, he thought.

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